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DOJ Offers Strategic Changes for Victims Services, Recognizes RAINN

Jun 17, 2013

The Justice Department wants services for victims of crime to move into the 21st century by making better use of technology and basing services on thorough research and evaluation. These are among the key recommendations of Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services Initiative, the culmination of a three-year process that involved input from a broad cross-section of leaders in the criminal justice field.

The report from DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime highlighted “Vision 21 Beacons,” examples of innovative programs and practices that can help “light the way” into the future envisioned by Vision 21. RAINN's National Sexual Assault Online Hotline is highlighted as a key example of technology, which has the potential to “greatly expand victim services through personalized and user-friendly applications that facilitate interaction among users and allow for broader and faster information sharing.”

RAINN staff participated in several stakeholder meetings that helped shape the Vision 21 recommendations, and RAINN has committed to work with DOJ to ensure that the recommendations are widely adopted.